Push back

Kate stood over Tantalus, as he desperately and futilely, grasped for fruit or water. When he dove to the ground to quench his thirst, it would shrink and recede into the ground. And when he leapt for the fruit dangling above him, the branch would grow in height. She loosed an arrow, striking the fruit down. Tantalus greedily leapt for the fruit. The fruit started roll out of reach, always evading Tantalus's grip. Kate grabbed the fruit trying desperately to shove the fruit down his throat, feeling an invisible force keeping the fruit away.

"GOD DAMN IT! WHY DO I GET THE HARD CHALLENGE!?" She yelled throwing the fruit away.

"Thirsty..." Tantalus, groaned weakly with a coarse voice.

"You and me both buddy." Kate sighed.

She cupped some water from the pit, pouring the water down onto Tantalus. He closed his eyes waiting for the refreshing crisp water, to quench his thirst. He opened his eyes when he felt nothing, looking at Kate, who stared wide eyed at the water flying into the air.

"Are you f**king kidding me?" They both said.

Kate walked over towards the tree banging her gently against it, angrily muttering against it.

"Piece of shit, god f**king damn it, stupid gods and their challenges."

Tantalus returned to desperately trying to satiate his desires. Kate looked over at Tantalus, noticing his perfect skin, hanging over his bones, and she jumped into the pit. She forced his forearm into his mouth, kneeing his jaw upwards. Blood and flesh filled his gullet, and he fell to his knees, with his blood flowing into the pool of water. He let out a gasp of satisfaction, dunking his head into the bloody water, greedily drinking the never ending pool of water. A wooden door magically appeared and Kate pushed forward, with a smug smile. As she walked through the door, she landed into hot black gravel, overlooking a gigantic river bed of fire. Her eyes bulged with shock and fear.

"What...in...the...living...f**kery. How am I supposed to cross this!?"

She grabbed a rock tossing it into the river of fire, watching it to turn ash before hitting the fire itself. Her jaw dropped and her eyes bulged nearly out of its sockets. Kate looked around for a bridge or anything to climb up, but saw nothing but an empty wasteland of gravel and the fiery river bed before her.

"Come on Kate, think, think. They wouldn't make it impossible to cross. What kind of game would that be if no contestant could make it past the first challenge?"

The Olympian champion emerged through the magical door landing beside her. He was a hulking behemoth of muscle, with olive skin, and long flowing hair. He wielded a golden shield and long golden spear, wearing a golden fleece, fashioned into a breastplate. He looked at the strange surrounding for a second, before approaching the river of fire, and placing his shield atop. He carefully balanced himself and began to paddle himself across using his spear. Kate watched on stunned, as she could see the sweat on his body evaporate into scalding steam in a second. Kate began to pace around frantically, scratching her chin and mumbling to herself. Another door opened, and the Medjay emerged, locking eyes with Kate. He entered into a sprint, running towards the river of fire, in his thick black tunic. Kate watched on mortified and in disbelief as the Medjay simply ran over the fire, bouncing off the surface like a leaf dancing in the wind.

"WHAT THE FLYING F**K!" She yelled in anger.

"I SWEAR TO CHRIST IF ANOTHER-"

The champion for the Jade empire emerged from the door. Kate was silent, scowling at him. He looked at puzzled and concerned, before looking away. He flourished his glaive running towards the river of fire, and planted the shaft deep into the gravel, and vaulted into the air. Kate quickly drew her bow firing it and knocking him into the river fire. He screamed out in agony for a second, before turning into a squealing sizzle.

"Why didn't I do that before!" She shouted slapping herself.

"Alright, they all had something to clear the river of fire. Which means, I should too, but what did they give me? I...AH F**K IT!" She shouted.

Kate sprinted towards the river of fire, closing her eyes and screaming, and leapt into the air. She felt the scalding hot smoke crest her skin, and braced herself for the burning flames. She felt nothing but the scalding hot air touch her skin and she opened her eyes. Seeing herself gently floating across the flames, her feathery pauldrons turned into large crow wings. Kate gazed in awe as she landed gently across the river of fire and patted her body down.

"I'm alive. I'm ALIVE! WOOOO!"

A deafening screech rung out, bringing Kate to her knees, and she quickly clutched her ears. She looked up to see the Olympian and Medjay being tossed around, trying desperately hack their way past the Scylla. She grabbed her war bow and stroked her feathery pauldrons. The Scylla was the size of a mountain, its heads covered the dark sky of Tartarus. Each head stretched like a river, and could reach any where on the barren plain, riddled with crushed skeletons. She stood on the edge of the Scylla's reach, with the Olympian and Medjay retreating next to her panting and huffing, covered in cuts and bruises.

"Can you assholes understand English?" Kate asked.

The two of them nodded. The three of them stared at the colossal Scylla, with all fifty heads, snarling at them. They gazed at the large pass sitting beneath the monster's belly, and the vast open field in front of them.

"This is the one challenge that we need to work together to get pass."

"What do you suggest, Asgardian?" The Olympian asked with a hoarse voice.

"Can you each cut a head off?" Kate asked.

The two of them looked at her puzzled, and irritated that she would ask something so stupid.

"Cut one head off and two more will take its place. Everyone knows this." The Medjay said annoyed.

"That's exactly the point. We're going to braid their heads together like hair."

"And use the regeneration to our advantage." The Olympian said with a smile.

"This guy gets it. Now I'm gonna run down the middle, drawing it's attention, you two zig and zag in front of me. Got it?"

The two of them nodded and spaced themselves far apart. Kate nocked her war bow, and loosed an arrow, that released a thunderous clap on release. The arrow flew through the air, piercing a head through the eye. The beast roared in agony and anger, and the three of them sprinted with all their might, towards the gate. The Medjay and the Olympian ran criss-cross in front of Kate as she leapt over the large serpent head. Each head was lopped off with ease by the other two champions, with the two new heads coiling around, the serpent head that chased Kate.

The two champions smiled with joy reaching the base of the gate when an arrow pierced through their legs. They both fell down screaming as Kate ran past them, waving them goodbye with a smug smile. The two of them cursed at her, desperately trying to crawl up the hill towards the gate.

"Sorry boys, but there can only be one winner, and I got places to be."

A serpent head dragged them out, they dug their fingers into the ground, desperately clinging on. Their fingers snapped off in the dirt, with a scream of terror, their bodies were flung high into the air, with each head fighting each other for a piece of flesh. Kate took a deep breath before walking through the gate. She walked through the blinding gate, feeling a sticky substance under leather boot. Kate gazed down and pursed her lips, praying for the best.

"Please, don't be what I think it is."

"Welcome to my lair." A woman hissed.

Kate scrunched her face, slowly looking up seeing a grotesque woman, and she threw her head back in frustration. A grotesque woman with eight beady red eyes, two large drooling black fangs, and a misshapen abdomen jutting out of her spine, stared at Kate. She averted her eyes and kept walking back trying to find the gateway.

"Look at me champion, you are the only to pass."

"I'd rather not. Dear god I'm starting to see why Andrew hates spiders."

"I am-"

"Arachne, I'm guessing. Woman turned into a spider because you beat Athena, I've heard the story." Kate said looking into the air.

"Look at me champion, for to pass, you will need to."

Kate took deep breaths, pumping herself up and stared at Arachne, her stomach churning at the sight.

"I was turned, because Athena could not find a flaw in my work. Now you must find the beauty in me to pass."

"You...you want me to give you a compliment?" Kate asked confused.

"Tell the truth, or I will devour your insides, and I will know when you tell a lie." She said licking her two large fangs.

"Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...."

Arachne stared at Kate impressed, hearing how long her exhale was.

"You have.....Um.....The thing is that.....beauty is subjective and....you are....I..." Kate stuttered scratching at her head.

"Take your time, I can wait." She said weaving a tapestry with her silk.

"There seriously has to be a real challenge. Can't we just fight to death or something?"

Arachne pulled a thread that dangled beside her. Kate looked around mortified, seeing billions of spiders wriggle around, hearing the skittering around her boots. Her skin crawled and she shuddered.

"Would you still like to fight?"

Kate shook her head and went onto one toe, trying to avoid the spiders under her feet. Kate stared at Arachne, her stomach churning every second.

"You look...nice?" Kate said with a nervous smile.

Arachne ignored her continuing to weave her tapestry. Kate reached for her bow, and she felt hundreds of tiny hair spiders crawl over her arm. A shiver went down her spine, and she dropped her bow.

"If I make it out of this, I'm going to apologise to Andrew."

Psylocke and M.O.D.O.K sat beside Noriko, staring intently at her. Violet lightning crackled around her, and the two of them were blown back. Psylocke stood up with her hair standing on edge, and let out an annoyed sigh, patting her hair down. M.O.D.O.K lay on his back groaning.

"Can...can we take a break? We've been at it for hours."

"No, I need to get stronger against psionic attacks. Keep going." Noriko said.

"We need to rest Noriko, our heads are hurting, and we've been at it for over 2 weeks now." Psylocke said slumping down.

"But if I can't stop you two, how am I supposed to beat the actual psychics in Australia."

"Wow, I guess I'll go f**k myself." M.O.D.O.K said floating away, his mech suit scraping against the ground.

"Oh come on, you know what I meant. Don't be like that." She said as he left the room.

Psylocke patted Noriko on the head, and let out an exhausted sigh.

"Don't wear yourself out. Andrew gave you three months, for a reason. He knows its enough time for everyone to get strong enough to fight back."

"I hope everyone is okay. It's been nearly a month, and we haven't heard anything from them." Noriko said clutching her knees.

"I'm sure they're fine." Psylocke said.

Andrew was sitting upright still swaddled in leaves, with several children taking turns hitting him on the forehead. Each child would take a black piece left by Gow, present it to Andrew and then bonk him gently. His spirit broken like his body, Andrew did not flinch or care anymore. He could only concentrate on the black pieces, the world started to become silent to him. As a child went to strike him in the forehead the shaman caught the stick. The shaman pointed to Andrew and the kids watched on in silence. A trail of drool slid out from Andrew's mouth, his breathing became deep long and calm.

They all took a step back, watching the shaman, gently cut the leaf wrapping with a small knife. Andrew was covered in viscous goo, his body still heavily bruised and covered in needles. In an instant the needles flew out of his body, and he fell limp onto the ground. They all winced at his broken body slamming against the ground, but Andrew did not make a sound, he simply rolled over onto his back and smiled.

"Mimi...are you ready to help me build this thing?"

Mimi manifested next to Andrew, bowing and taking a seat next to him.

"I am ready master."

"Hang on everyone...I''ll rescue you all soon enough." Andrew said with Mimi placing a black piece into his hand.

Colleen and Connie slammed through several houses, crawling out of the rubble, clutching their bruised bodies. Shao Lao loomed over them from the skies. His hot breath blew away the dirt and dust. They glared up at him panting, their clothes torn, tattered and stained in blood.

"Red headed girl, you have power, but your technique is lacking."

Connie scowled at him gripping her katana tightly.

"And you black haired girl. You seemingly know techniques long since forgotten. How you have learned these techniques I do not know. However it will take more than that to defeat me."

Colleen fell to her knees breathing heavily, when Connie picked her up.

"Get up...we're not done here. I want my home back. I want my life back. And this f**king snake is in my way."

Shao Lao smirked down at them to her annoyance.

"I'm....I'm sorry..."

"Don't apologise to me. You did nothing but exist. I know who took away my life, and home. So when I get rid of this f**king snake, and take back my home. You're welcome to come and visit me sister."

Colleen looked up at Connie shocked. She stood up clutching her katana tightly the two of them leaning on each other.

"Alright, I have a plan. Follow my lead." Colleen said filled with new vigour.

The two of them lunged in perfect sync trying to thrust their blades into Shao Lao's eyes. They were quickly swatted by his massive tail into the mountain side.

"That...plan...sucked..." Connie groaned.

"Yep...my bad..."

Laura approached Maria still watching the monitor, with the map of U.S.A blanketed in white. Australia was now a black blotch on the globe projection, with the edges of China slowly being blotted out.

"Any good news?" Laura asked.

She knew the answer already, but felt the need to ask, regardless of how futile it was. Maria shook her head, grabbing her coffee cup with her bloody knuckles. Laura looked over to the concrete wall, slowly being cracked apart with remnants of Maria's flesh.

"I can..."

"Just go...."

Laura had been alive for close a millennia, and never got use to the sound of someone giving up. Especially someone as strong willed as Maria Hill. Laura slowly approached Maria, looking at her red puffy eyes, and rosy cheeks.

"Maria..."

"I can't help...What good am I? How could I let this happen? People are dying and I CAN'T STOP IT!" She said breaking down into tears.

Laura held Maria, as she sobbed into her arms. She looked up to the map projection, watching it slowly expand. Laura thought back to the words, her father said. 'Don't care about human problems. Sleep long enough and they'll go away.' Laura shook her head, clutching Maria tightly and looked at the shard of Mimicry waiting beside the screen.

"Things are gonna be okay Maria....."

In the heart of Brisbane city, humans were rounded up and forced into internment camps, with mutants snarling at them. They taunted and egged the humans with their powers snickering at them. Father Cox was with a crowd of children and scared parents, reading out from torn and frayed bible. They stayed in a dilapidated building, with broken pipes dripping down and fragments of glass windows scattered on the carpeted floor. Father Cox opened the bible and began to read a passage, when the building levitated up. The crowd screamed out in terror, with a gigantic looming shadow over them.

Onslaught levitated above them, the amalgamation of Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr, inside the body of a hulking giant. His bulging muscles stretched his red tights, wearing dark violet claws, spiked pauldrons and greaves. However the thing that struck fear into the hearts of those who saw him, was his helmet. It shadowed his face, only exposing two glowing white eyes, and nothing else.

"Father Cox, don't you know it is blasphemous to worship a false idol?" Onslaught said.

His voice a twisted fused echo of Charles and Erik. Father Cox stood tall against him, clutching the bible tightly.

"I am not teaching them to worship, only to learn the lessons that God has given them." He said confidently.

Metal pipes wrapped around Father Cox and he was levitated up towards Onslaught.

"You still believe that boy of yours will come back? S.H.I.E.L.D cannot help anyone here. This country is ours and soon the world. Yet you expect that one boy who doesn't see you as his father, to come and save you? What on Earth would give this false sense of hope?" Onslaught asked chuckling.

"I have faith. And when you are killed, I'll be sure to pray for your soul." He said with a smug smile.

"Tsk, believe what you will, but remember your job humans. You will breed us new mutants, and do nothing but that." Onslaught said flying away.

Father Cox was dropped to the ground and the others rushed to pry him free of the pipes. A scared child approached him, with tears welling in his eyes, holding a S.H.I.E.L.D logo.

"Is someone really going to help us?"

He smiled at her, patting his head to reassure the child.

"Of course! My son is one of the strongest people on Earth. He just has to train and get strong. So give him some time okay?"

The child nodded clutching the logo tightly, with Father Cox hugging him tightly. He looked to the sky filled with dread and only a whisper of hope. Closing his eyes, he said a prayer to himself.

"I've been a terrible Father, and have asked for too many things, but if you would let me be selfish one last time. Please bring him back safely. That is all I ask for."

*4 weeks later*

Psylocke and M.O.D.O.K were staring intensely at Noriko, who was doing push ups.

"Get inside her brain already." Psylocke said through her teeth.

"I'm trying, it's hard to keep blood in my head, when you walk around in a skin tight leotard." He replied through his teeth.

Noriko wiped her sweat and began reading book through her phone. The two of them gnashed their teeth together, trying with all their might to enter into her brain. Finally hearing Noriko's inner thought.

"Keep up." She said.

With a crackle of violet lightning, Psylocke and M.O.D.O.K were bombarded by mental images of phallic objects and reeled back in pain.

"ARGH PENIS! THAT HURT! WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT TO ME? I'VE DONE NOTHING BUT HELP!" He shouted covering his eyes.

"WHAT HE SAID!"

Noriko rushed over to them.

"Ahh, sorry Andrew told me that worked on Emma one time. So I thought I would try it, as well but at..."

"At Mega hyper dick speed? Jesus woman! Felt like I jumped into light speed in the milky way of penis. I'm out! Go do your own training from here on out." M.O.D.O.K said angrily floating away.

Noriko felt a wave of guilt wash over her and she awkwardly scratched the back of her head.

"Don't worry about him. If it works, it works. Just...give us a warning next time. And...why were there so many different versions? How many have you seen?"

"Not important, I need to go train." Noriko said disappearing with a trail of lightning.

Daisy wore a thick woolly coat, glaring daggers at Robbie, in the passenger seat of a S.H.I.E.L.D. Humvee. Spider-man, and the webbed warriors sat in the back seat, in an awkward silence, crammed together. They drove through the frozen wasteland of what was once U.S.A. Skyscrapers devoured by snow and frost bitten.

"How long are you going to keep being angry at me?" Robbie asked.

"You broke my arms and legs." Daisy scowled.

"You were being mind controlled and about to split the planet in half. You should be thanking me." Robbie snapped back.

"You broke my arms and legs!" She exclaimed.

"YOU'RE WELCOME!" He shouted, keeping his eyes on the road.

"Are Calamities always like this?" Ghost Spider asked.

"Only ones that have dated." Spider-man said.

Daisy snapped back at Spider-man, her scowl sent a cold shiver down his spine, and he went silent.

"We didn't date!" She exclaimed pouting in her seat.

"Yeah! We were just banging." Robbie corrected.

"Hellfire the damn Humvee and get us there quicker."

"I gotta save the Hellfire, for when the blizzard comes."

"Heat signatures detected in nearby building." J.A.R.V.I.S said.

"You guys are up." Spider-man said.

The Web warriors groaned reluctantly leaping out of the Humvee into the chilling cold, and swinging their way to the buildings.

"Shouldn't you be joining them, Sensei Peter?" Robbie asked.

"F**k that! It's like negative 100 degrees out there."

"You are already getting situated into the mentor role I see." Daisy scoffed.

"Radical temperature drop detected."

"Alright you're up Daisy, are you ready?"

"To fight after having my bones broken?" Daisy retorted, walking out of the Humvee.

"WILL YOU LET IT GO!?" Robbie shouted.

The Humvee became engulfed in Hellfire, speeding off into the distance. The fiery trail was instantly frozen into a intricate display of solid fire. Daisy gently levitated down onto the snow. Her boots crunched into the thick snow, and her breath let out a steaming cloud. She gazed around at the frozen wasteland, shivering and feeling the bite of the cold wind touch her nose.

"Come on out, Ice-man! You've ruined Christmas, and New years. Now you've reminded me of how winter came in Game of Thrones season 8."

The ice began to rumble, and shake violently. Daisy stood unfazed, watching the ice part, with a gigantic ice Golem, roaring at her. She took her hand out of warm pits and clapped her mitten hands together, making a padded clap. The Ice golem roared lunging its long icicle claws at her, only to shatter into a billion pieces. Daisy looked around seeing no movement, and let out a sigh, taking off her mittens.

"Guess we're doing this the hard way then."

She clapped her hands together and palmed the ice with all her might. The ice parted cracked around her, and the frozen wasteland uprooted and crumbled. The large glaciers crashed and shattered against each other, until they became one solid block again. Ice-Man leapt out of the tundra, his body covered in ice shaped like plate armour.

"Why do you fight us sister? Look at your powers! You could easily rule by Apocalypse's side as one of his horsemen! Look at the power he has given me? I have frozen half of America by myself in less than three months. Imagine what he could do with you!"

Daisy gave him a disinterested stare.

"Do you have any intention of surrendering and getting rid of all this ice?"

Ice-man stared at her puzzled and in disbelief.

"No. Of course not. I rule this world part of the world and..."

"Great! That makes this part of my job so much easier. Bringing in people alive is so much trouble compared to just killing them."

Ice-man was silent before breaking out into laughter.

"Kill me? Look around you. I am beyond a walking calamity! I am a god here!"

"Well 'god' let me show you the difference between a Calamity and Omega threat." Daisy said with a smile.

She opened her coat, wearing two large belts of flash bangs. Daisy snapped her fingers, and all the pins flew out. Ice-man started to laugh maniacally at the sight.

"That's it!? You didn't even throw them!"

The ice around her feet shattered into a fine dust, and Ice-man trembled in fear, watching the air pulsate around her. He took a step back, looking at the flash bangs still on her chest.

"They haven't detonated yet, but she's generating this much vibration power. How and from where?"

"If you're wondering where I'm getting this energy from, everything in the world is constantly vibrating. I do have to thank you and your little mutant uprising. I've never had a chance to go all out before." Daisy said with twisted smile.

Ice-man raised his hand and the ice beneath his spiked up into a large wall. The pins in the flash bangs popped off. He dove into the ice, only to feel himself levitate and be launched into the air. Ice-man looked down at this frozen wonderland, seeing it instantly shatter into a fine dust. However the dread he felt was coming from the violently pulsating shield around Daisy. She smiled at him, and waved her arm. A cataclysmic wave of vibrational energy launched out, Ice-man blinked and suddenly felt nothing. His body ripped apart into a fine bloody mist, with the storm clouds above parting way. Daisy let out a strained sigh, her hands throb and she shakily reached for her phone.

"Ice-man is dead, I'll start working on clearing the ice, Quake out."

"Good to have you back and operational." Maria said.

"I would have stopped this earlier if..."

"DON'T YOU F**KING SAY IT!" Robbie shouted over the phone line.